KARACHI: Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal on Saturday got his daughter vaccinated against cervical cancer to dispel false propaganda about the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign.

Speaking at a press conference here at the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) office, the minister said misleading propaganda had been spread against the vaccine and that he wanted to prove with action, not words that it was safe.

“I have never brought my family into the public eye in my 30-year political career,” he told journalists. “But to put an end to these baseless rumours, I have taken this step.”

Mr Kamal said that just as he cared for his own daughter, he considered the daughters of the nation equally precious. “Our purpose is to seek Allah’s approval by protecting our people from disease,” he added.

The minister stressed that Pakistan’s healthcare system could not provide treatment to every citizen and that many patients remained in hospitals for extended periods. He called for greater emphasis on vaccination as a prevention.

The health minister also said that more vaccines would be introduced in the future and urged the public to adopt them to shield the nation from life-threatening illnesses.

“Cancer is a deadly disease that affects not just an individual but entire families and prevention remains the best path forward,” he concluded.

It might be recalled that the federal government, as well as governments of Punjab and Sindh, had launched the first-ever vaccination campaign against cervical cancer on Sept 15. The campaign targeting millions of girls aged nine to 14 will run till Sept 27.

According to officials, the Sindh health department is facing multiple challenges in meeting the target, including vaccine hesitancy in parts of Karachi, which they blame on the constant spread of misleading information through social media.

However, the department claims to have achieved 60 per cent coverage, providing vaccination to over 550,000 girls across the province in four days since the campaign’s launch.

Pakistan is the 149th country to introduce this vaccine into its immunisation schedule. It’s already being used in Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Indonesia.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2025